Sleep and Glycemia in Youth With Type 1 Diabetes.
Kaitlyn Rechenberg, Stephanie Griggs, Sangchoon Jeon and 3 others
PMID 32171612WHAT IT FOUND
Sleep variability, not just total sleep time, linked to higher mean glucose and stress in youth with Type 1 Diabetes.
Those with more consistent sleep rhythms reported better self-management. Assessing sleep timing regularity may be more clinically useful than duration alone.
Key findings
01Higher sleep variability was associated with higher mean glucose, a higher high blood glucose index, and higher stress levels.
02A more robust rest-activity rhythm was associated with better self-reported diabetes self-management.
03Only 22.5% of participants obtained eight or more hours of sleep on average, and most reported poor sleep quality.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The cross-sectional design means causality cannot be determined; sleep issues may result from poor glycemic control rather than causing it. The sample was small (40 participants), mostly non-Hispanic white, higher income, and from a single geographic location, limiting generalizability. Actigraphy was worn for a mean of 6.4 days, which may not fully capture habitual sleep patterns over time. The study did not collect data on school schedules, so weekday versus weekend differences could not be fully interpreted.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that extending total sleep duration will improve glycemic control based on this study. The associations were found with sleep variability and rhythm consistency, not total sleep time, which showed no significant relationship with glucose outcomes.